A Day at the Beach
by TxBlueEyes
Summary: Johnny joins the DeSoto family for a day at the beach.  But will it be all fun in the sun?


Roy was getting his family's beach gear out of the station wagon when he heard another vehicle pull up. He turned around and was surprised to see that it was Johnny's Land Rover.

"I thought you had a date." Roy called as his partner was walking towards him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Uncle Johnny, you came!" Roy's little girl, Jenny, ran full speed towards her favorite "uncle". Johnny scooped her up and lifted her above his head.

"I decided I could have more fun with you!" Johnny set her down on the ground and reached to tousle Chris's hair. "Ready for the beach, Chris?"

"Will you help us build sandcastles?" Chris was equally excited that Johnny had come.

"Of course I will!" Johnny was starting to look forward to the day.

Joanne had walked up to Roy during the conversation. Johnny looked her way and grinned.

"Hi, Joanne. While we're building sandcastles, what will you be doing?"

"I came for relaxation and sun!" She smiled at Johnny, the kids enthusiasm was contagious. "Ok, kids. Let's go stake out our spot while your daddy and Uncle Johnny bring the stuff." The kids didn't need any more encouragement. Jenny grabbed one hand and Chris the other and they both practically drug their mother towards the beach.

"Will you carry this?" Roy was digging the picnic basket out of the back of the station wagon. When Johnny didn't take it from him, he turned around to look. Johnny hadn't heard him, he was still watching Roy's family heading towards the water.

"You okay, partner?"

It still took Johnny a few seconds to realize Roy was talking to him. "Huh?" He noticed the picnic basket Roy was still holding and took it from him.

"What happened?"

"I don't want…"

Roy cut him off. "I know you don't want to talk about it but as someone once told me, that's when you should talk about it."

Johnny grinned. He remembered the conversation when he had told that to Roy. "Yeah. You're right." Then he sighed. "I was beginning to think Stacey might be the one but she called last night and said she's taking that job in New York."

Stacey was a fashion model Johnny had met on a run about a month before. They had been dating ever since but apparently Johnny had become more serious than she had.

"At least she doesn't have three kids you didn't know about." Roy had been trying to lighten the mood but the look on Johnny's face told him it hadn't worked. "Sorry."

They finished getting the beach gear together and started walking towards the water. Joanne and the kids had found a nice spot on a quiet section of the beach. It was a perfect day to be there. No one else was around and there was a light breeze blowing and no sounds but the surf, the seagulls, and the squeals of delight from the children.

It didn't take long for them to get the gear set up. Joanne stretched out on a beach chair to read a book. The guys put up a couple of umbrellas for when they got tired of the sun. The kids came and got the buckets and shovels and drug Johnny out to start on their castle. Roy sat down in the chair next to Joanne.

"You look great in that bikini."

"Thank you." Joanne leaned in and gave Roy a kiss.

"The kids are having fun."

"Yeah. All three of them." Roy watched the castle builders for a few minutes and then turned his attention back to his wife.

"Stacey's going to New York. That's why Johnny came today."

"I thought he seemed a little down. How's he taking it?"

"He didn't say much. He seemed to be getting pretty serious about her though. I think he's finally ready to settle down if he could find the right one."

"I'm just glad I found the right one when I did." Roy and Joanne had met in the fourth grade and eventually became high school sweethearts.

"Me too." Roy leaned towards his wife to give her a kiss. Just as their lips were about to touch, Roy was drenched with water. All "three" of the kids had snuck up behind him and Johnny threw a bucket full of water on him. Joanne got splashed by some of the water but Roy took the worst of it. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off and then Roy was up, chasing after Johnny.

Joanne laughed and watched the show. Roy finally caught up to Johnny and tackled him. Chris was trying to help hold him down while Jenny ran back towards the water with the bucket. They managed to keep him down long enough for Jenny to come back. She threw the water on him and squealed with delight. Johnny then managed to get up and started chasing Jenny. Joanne decided this could go on for some time and went back to her book.

After awhile, they got tired of the chase and went back to building sandcastles. After about an hour of building, Joanne called them back to eat the picnic lunch. They were resting under the shade of the umbrellas when Joanne noticed another family coming towards the beach. There were two women and a young girl. Joanne figured it was a mother, her daughter and granddaughter. The older woman noticed Joanne and waved at her.

"I'm ready to go back to our sandcastle." Chris got up and went to get his tools.

"Me, too!" Jenny got up and started trying to pull Roy up to his feet. "Come on, Daddy. You too, Uncle Johnny! We gotta finish it!"

"Ok, sweetheart. We're coming!" Roy and Johnny headed with the kids back down to the water. Joanne decided to stretch out in the sun and work on her tan.

They had been working for about a half an hour when they heard the sound of a speed boat roaring past. Roy looked up and saw it moving erratically through the water. It looked like there was a couple of people in the boat and by the way they were acting, he wondered if they were drunk. Just as he was about to make a comment about the boat driver's recklessness, he heard someone scream "Where are they?"

The fear in her voice instantly made Roy and Johnny alert. "You two stay here." Roy told his kids as he and Johnny started heading towards the woman. Joanne had heard the scream and came running towards her kids. She knelt down on the sand and wrapped her arms around them and prayed everything was okay.

Neither Roy nor Johnny had noticed the woman when she came to the beach so they hadn't seen who had been with her. "What's wrong?" Johnny asked as they reached the woman.

"My daughter and granddaughter were out in the water near those rocks when that crazy boat sped by. I don't see them now!"

Roy and Johnny headed for the water. When Joanne saw them start wading in, she realized they might need help. "Come on, kids." She stood up and reached for their hands.

"I want to help Daddy."

"We are going to help Daddy, Chris. They're going to need an ambulance and they don't have their equipment with them. Let's go to the gas station up the road and call the fire department."

The three started racing as fast as they could through the sand towards the station wagon. The gas station wasn't far down the road but right now, to Joanne, it felt a million miles away.

Roy and Johnny swam towards the rocks, wandering what kind of trouble they would find. They were thankful the waves were calm now. As they got to the other side of the rocks, they saw a woman breaking the surface of the water.

"Are you all right?"

"My daughter! She hasn't come up since that boat went by!"

"Go on. I've got her." Johnny told Roy as he swam for the mother. "Did you hit your head on the rocks?" The woman had a bad gash on her head and he was afraid it might be a concussion.

"Yes. Those waves knocked me into the rocks. We have to find my daughter!"

"Don't worry about her. My partner and I will find her. You just hold on to the rocks while we look." Johnny hated to leave her there but they had to find the girl.

As Johnny started swimming back to help, Roy came to the surface holding the little girl. She looked to be about ten and she wasn't breathing.

"Can you get her to shore by yourself?"

"Yeah, I've got her. You help her mother." Roy had a good hold on the girl and started swimming as fast as he could.

"Is she okay?" Her mother had let go of the rocks and started swimming towards Johnny. The panic in her voice had him worried.

"My partner will take good care of her. You need to calm down for her sake. Now let's get you to shore."

Fortunately, the rocks weren't very far from the shore. Roy got there pretty fast and carried the little girl a few feet inland before laying her down to start CPR. Johnny and the woman made it right behind Roy. As soon as Johnny helped the woman to her mother, he went over and started helping Roy.

After a couple of minutes, the girl started coughing. Relieved, Roy helped her sit up. He wished they had their equipment with them so they could check her out. Just as he was about to tell Johnny to go get help, Joanne and the kids came running up.

"The paramedics and ambulance are on their way." Roy flashed a grin at his wife. He'd have to remember to properly thank her later.

While Roy stayed with the little girl, Johnny went to check on her mother. He wished he had his flashlight with him so he could check her pupils.

"Is she all right?"

"She's going to be fine. An ambulance is coming so you can both go to the hospital and get checked out. How are you feeling?"

"Don't worry about me. Just take care of Katie!"

"Let's worry about you right now. My partner's taking good care of Katie, so let me take care of you."

It seemed as if she was going to protest again but then changed her mind. "Well, I am a little dizzy and my head hurts."

"You've probably got a concussion. But they'll take care of that at the hospital." Johnny hated feeling helpless but that's how he felt without his equipment. He was glad that neither of them seemed to be hurt too badly.

"Young man, you said partner. What do you and your friend do?" The grandmother asked.

"My friend, Roy DeSoto, and I are paramedics with the LA County Fire Department. My name is Johnny Gage."

"I can't thank you enough for helping my girls. I don't know what we would have done without the two of you."

"I'm glad we just happened to be here so we could help."

Tears came to the grandmother's eyes. "Johnny, don't you know? There's no such thing as 'just happened to be'!"

That statement took Johnny by surprise. Just as he was about to respond, he heard sirens in the distance. It didn't take long for him to see the squad coming. "Help is coming. Just rest easy."

A few minutes later, the victims had been loaded in the ambulance with the grandmother riding up front. The ambulance and squad started towards the hospital and Johnny and the DeSoto family watched for a couple of minutes as it sped off in the distance. Finally, Joanne broke the silence.

"I think I'm ready to head home." When the kids didn't protest, she knew the excitement had gotten to them too.

"You go on. We'll be right behind you." Roy wanted a chance to talk to Johnny privately. Once his family was out of ear shot, he asked "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was just wondering what would have happened if we hadn't been here."

"Well, I sure am glad they didn't have to find out. And I'm glad you were here. I wouldn't have wanted to handle that by myself. I'm just sorry about the circumstances that got you here."

"Yeah, me too. You know Roy, you're a lucky man. You've got a great family."

"Not lucky, just very blessed. Hey, why don't you come over to the house tonight? I can throw some steaks on the grill."

Johnny might not have his own family yet but he was glad he could be a part of Roy's. "Sounds great to me. Let's go."


End file.
